Poland approves wild boar cull
PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge
17.07.2014 11:57
A cull of over 3000 wild boar in the north eastern Podlaskie region has been approved after further cases of African Swine Fever were confirmed last week.
Photo: wikipedia
Local hunters had complained of financial losses, noting that although ASF is not dangerous to humans, demand has dropped dramatically for wild boar meat in Poland in recent months.
The cull will take place within the buffer zone that was created near the Belarusian border following the outbreak of ASF in late January.
Poland's Chief Veterinary Officer Marek Pirsztuk has allowed hunters to shoot about 3200 wild boar.
Hunters will be paid 150 zloty per carcass (32 euros) by the State Treasury. The dead animals will be handed in at collection points and then disposed of by a specialist company.
According to Miroslaw Czech, from the Regional Veterinary Inspectorate in Bialystok, the goal is to keep the wild boar population down.
Russia introduced an EU-wide block on pork products after the initial ASF outbreak, although EU Health Commissioner Tonio Borg argued that in all likelihood, the source of the virus was in Belarus, and not within the EU.
China is among the countries to have placed an embargo on Polish pork products, although Ukraine ended its embargo in June. (nh)
Source: PAP